Going Back
by PeaceLoveandFandoms
Summary: After a prank gone wrong, the Clan finds themselves in the year 1997, right in the middle of the Second Wizarding War.
1. The Time Turner

**Chapter 1: The Time Turner**

On the outskirts of the small town of Ottery St. Catchpole, if one looked closely, they would find a large, lopsided house that looked as though the only thing which could keep it standing was magic. Inside of the house, there lived a group of the oddest amalgamation of people. A majority of these people were obviously related - with red hair and freckles, it would be hard to mistake each of them as anything other than a Weasley. But others were not as easily recognizable. For example, in the kitchen, with the rest of the adult women, stood a tall black woman who seemed to be built of nothing but muscle. Likely she was, as she had been a chaser for the Holyhead Harpies since the year 1998. Next to her stood another woman, equally as noticeable in the sea of redheads surrounding her, with silvery-blonde hair and deep blue eyes as well as a miniscule frame. Next to her was a younger girl who looked as though she could be her daughter. This young girl was holding a baby boy, no more than three months old, whose hair was changing colour as each new woman talked to him.

Yes. The Burrow was filled with the most diverse group of people on the afternoon of August 31, 2023. It was the day the first of September, so the Weasleys and Potters, as well as close family friends, had decided it would be good to celebrate the return of the younger children to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, just as they had done since Teddy Lupin's first year at the school. Teddy, however, was long out of school, and at this point, every member of the next generation of Potters and Weasleys was either in school or had finished. This year was rather important, as it was time for the biggest class of Potters and Weasleys to enter their seventh and final year of Hogwarts. Albus Potter and his cousins Rose, Dominique, and Roxanne Weasley were all ready to finish Hogwarts, excited to start on the new paths that they had planned for themselves after their NEWTs were finished. Rose planned to study to be a Healer after her seventh year, having already been accepted into the training program at St. Mungo's, a grand achievement as she has yet to finish her NEWTs. Dominique desired to become an Unspeakable in the Department of Mysteries, a career that promised to be full of excitement, and Roxanne wished to follow in her Uncle Charlie's footsteps and become a dragon trainer. Albus, however, had no idea of what it was he wanted to do after Hogwarts. His entire life had been devoted to school since he was a boy, and now that it would no longer be, he wasn't sure what to pursue instead.

The four Weasley-Potters were not the only ones in the Burrow about to enter their seventh year. No, Albus Potter, who had been sorted into Slytherin his first year, had brought along his best friend today, just as he had since the summer before his second year. Scorpius Malfoy was nothing like his father had been in school. Where the senior Malfoy had been a purist, Scorpius liked to think of himself as rather accepting of any sort of wizard or witch; where his father had been sly and conniving, Scorpius was rather forward and did not hesitate to help others when necessary; where Draco Malfoy had been a bratty child, Scorpius was grateful for all that he had. Scorpius Malfoy was, in fact, one of the nicest people anyone had ever met, and if that weren't enough, he was definitely one of the most attractive ones. All of the Weasley-Potters thought so - well, almost all of them. Ronald Bilius Weasley wanted nothing to do with the boy, and his daughter held the same view. It was not helped that Rose believed Scorpius had stolen her best friend from her in first year, even though the three were always together when Rose wasn't with her roommates. In fact, the trio had been likened to the next Golden Trio. However, this moniker had no effect on the feelings Rose had toward Scorpius. She could not stand the sight of the boy, which was truly disappointing as she had to see him in order to see her favorite cousin.

Scorpius, for the life of him, could not figure out why Rose disliked him so much. It was a misfortune that she did not like him at all, as he had been bonkers about her since he saw her from across the platform in their first year. He can still recall thinking that she looked like a real-life princess from a storybook, with rosy-red hair that fell to her waist and the brightest blue eyes anyone had ever seen. She had only become more attractive as the years progressed, but Scorpius could never seem to get on her good side.

In fact, just now as he was thinking about how beautiful she was, she was yelling at him for something he did not, in fact, do.

"I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU, MALFOY! WHY AL WOULD EVER EVEN CONSIDER BECOMING YOUR FRIEND IS BEYOND ME!" Rose was blaming Scorpius for the large stain that was now being vigorously scrubbed off her white shirt by Lucy Weasley, the youngest of the Weasley clan at thirteen years old. See, a few moments prior, Scorpius and Al had been messing around, playing with their celebratory cake, as teenage boys do. Scorpius didn't mean to hit Rose with the chocolate piece of cake that he flung from his fork. He really hadn't. He was aiming at Albus, who had previously gotten Scorpius in the face with his chocolate ammunition.

While Rose continued to scream at Scorpius for ruining her favorite shirt, upstairs there were three boys who were acting rather suspicious. James Sirius Potter, lovingly called Jamie by his family and friends, was standing with his two best mates, Freddie Weasley and Frankie Longbottom. The three boys, along with Jo Thomas, Dean and Parvati Thomas's daughter, had graduated from Hogwarts the year prior, and the boys were eager to play a devastating prank on their younger cousins, as they wouldn't be able to wreak havoc on them all year while the children were at school.

"I found it yesterday, boys. What do you think?" Jamie was saying to the other two. The day before, Jamie had found a rather interesting device in his father's office desk. The three boys gathered around the interesting device, not having any clue what it was. "I figure if we hook it onto a dungbomb, it'll break open and cover them all in glitter, as well as the dungbomb making them smell rather horrid."

The two other boys thought the idea was interesting, but Frankie, always having been the brains in the trio, was skeptical, "Jamie, how do we know that isn't laced with some sort of horrible magic that could kill them all?"

Jamie, having not thought of that as an option, looked down, considering. After a while, he managed to come up with an answer, "My dad wouldn't leave anything lying around that could potentially harm us. After all, he knows how often we get into his stuff. I mean, surely he knew we'd had the map for the past seven years."

Frankie, appeased by the answer, smiled. "Well, then, what are we waiting for? Let's do it!"

The three boys snuck down the stairs to hide under them when they pulled off their prank. By this time, Scorpius was fighting Rose back on her accusations, as he could never sit still and let her yell at him. Arguing with her was far too much fun to do that. Victoire, having left her son, Remi, in the kitchen with the adult women, was vehemently attempting to break the fight up. None of the adults ever bothered when Rose and Scorpius began fighting, as they had all deemed it a lost cause. Victoire, however, was quite sick of their childish antics and wanted them to stop yelling so that Remi could have his nap.

Seeing it was a perfect distraction, Freddie, who was closest to the commotion, released the dungbomb with the device strapped to it. Going almost perfectly to plan, the device exploded, leaving the cousins, all of which had gathered in the family room to watch the Rose and Scorpius show, covered in golden dust. Unfortunately, Jamie, Freddie, and Frankie were all covered as well, but they didn't seem to mind as they stepped out from behind their hiding spot to laugh at the shocked looks on their family's faces.

Just as Rose was about to turn her yelling onto the trio of boys, with Victoire ready to join her in this round, the entire Clan, as they so lovingly referred to themselves, vanished in a great big flash of light.

 **A/N: Please read and review! I'm hoping to update every day (if possible) because I know how impatient I get! ?**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything, just the plot.** **Everything else is J.K. Rowling's.**

 **If you would like a character list of the NextGen kiddos, then please review. I've already got one made, but I'm not one for long A/Ns if possible.**

 **Thank you!**


	2. When Are We?

**Chapter 2: When Are We?**

The flash of light that had surrounded the Clan disappeared almost as fast as it had appeared. Not understanding what had happened, the members of the Clan looked around precariously for any clues. What they saw shocked them.

About fifty meters ahead was the Burrow. However, it did not look like the Burrow they all knew. No, all of the additions were gone. Vanished. Not only that, but the Burrow, which was usually full of life and cheer, looked as though it had been through a war. It was droopy and grim, and there was no sign of life except the burning of a single candle that could be seen through the window of what must be the family room. The room that, not even a second earlier, the Clan had been in.

When they had left, the sun had just begun fading, but now, it was pitch black outside. This further confused the clan. Just what had happened with that single flash of light?

Inside of the Burrow, a meeting was occuring. The Order of the Phoenix was gathered around the family room of Arthur and Molly Weasley, discussing urgent topics.

"Has anyone heard from Harry, Ron, or Hermione?" came the rough voice of Kingsley Shacklebolt. His tall frame was sunken into the couch in the room, which normally would have been cozy had it not been for the severity of the conversation.

With a helpless look, Molly answered the man with a negative. It had been nearly a month since she had seen her youngest son or heard from him. The clock which contained the names of every member of the Weasley family was of no help. The hand with Ron's face on it was constantly pointed to "mortal peril".

Upstairs, with an Extendable Ear, Ginny Weasley was listening in on the Order's conversation. She was angry that she wasn't allowed in the meeting, deemed "too young for this sort of talk" by her mother. She wasn't too young. After all, it was _her_ brother that was out there fighting for his life, alongside _her_ boyfriend, or at least she hoped he was still her boyfriend, and _her_ future sister-in-law, although Ron and Hermione were still too dense to realize that much. They were all only a year older than her, and they were constantly on the battlefield. They had been since they were eleven. She wasn't too young.

Her anger at the situation quickly evaporated, replaced with fear at the bright light that she had just seen coming from fifty meters away. Hurriedly she dropped the Extendable Ears and raced down to inform the Order.

"Ginevra Weasley, what exactly do you think you're doing down here? I thought I tol-" Molly began but was stopped when Ginny's face revealed her fear.

"Mum. Someone's here. I just saw a bright light in front of the house." Ginny explained, fear creeping down her spine.

Hearing this, the Order rushed into action. Ginny was ushered into a closet to hide, although she was told to be prepared to run as fast as she could. Arthur, Kingsley, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks Lupin, Bill Weasley, Charlie Weasley, and Molly all prepared for a fight.

A fight, however, is not what came. Whatever it was the Order expected when they opened the door to the Burrow, it certainly wasn't a large group of horrified looking children, the oldest of which looked about to knock on the door.

"Who are you?" Bill Weasley asked. The group of teenagers looked around at each other, unsure of what it was they were meant to say.

"Um… Da-... I mean, sir. My name is Tori. And well, we've all got quite the story, and we'll answer your questions in a moment, but we were wondering if you could answer our question first." Victoire spoke quickly, avoiding her father's much younger face.

"And what exactly would that question be?" Charlie spoke up from behind his older brother.

"Yes, um… _when_ , exactly, are we?" Victoire asked, as the rest of her family looked on at the people whose faces they knew so well but who looked so different.

The question had certainly caught the Order off-guard. It was a well-known fact that all Time Turners were under strict surveillance by the Ministry for Magic, which meant they were under strict surveillance from Voldemort and the Death Eaters. There was no possible way for the group of teens to be time travelers. It was a crazy idea. But even though it was crazy, the Order still had to take it into consideration.

Excusing himself, Bill quickly slammed the door in the Clan's face, knowing that the Order would need to discuss before they allowed the strangers to come into the Burrow. Ginny, having heard the door close, left her hiding spot and joined the Order in the family room once more. Molly, disconcerted by the amount of red hair that was in the group of teenagers, as well as the uncanny resemblance between many of them, did not tell Ginny that she was too young this time.

"Well, what are we going to do?" Charlie asked. He, too, had seen the amount of, well, Weasley red, in the group and was equally as shocked as his mother. "Should we really believe that they're time travelers?"

Kingsley Shacklebolt, one of the few that had failed to notice the Weasley-ness of the group of teens outside, likely because he'd been too far back to see it, replied hastily, "I don't want to believe them. It's insane to even think that we should believe them. However, I also don't want to turn my back on anyone who may be in danger."

Everyone around the room agreed. Ginny, looking to prove that she was of value, spoke up, "Don't you have any Veritaserum, Mr. Shacklebolt? I mean… I know it's dangerous, but is it not worth it to ensure that we don't put ourselves or anyone into harm's way?"

The adults around the room looked at Ginny. They had all considered the Veritaserum as well, but no one dared to bring it up.

Eventually, Bill looked at his baby sister, far too young to be worried about a war, and then looked to Kingsley. "She's right, Kingsley. The only way we can be sure that everyone is safe is to use Veritaserum."

Kingsley nodded, knowing it would likely come to this. "Alright. Let's go get them, then. We'll each interrogate a few of them, as it is quite a large group. I say we ask them their names and ages. And then we ask if they're in league with You-Know-Who."

Agreeing on those terms, the Order stood up to greet their time traveling visitors once again.

Scorpius Malfoy was scared. He had every right to be. Although he was not like his father was in his teenage years, the same could not be said for his appearance. Scorpius Malfoy was the spitting image of his father, and surely the Order would see that and _Avada_ him on the spot. Or something like that. He wasn't quite sure if the Order ever actually killed people, but he was sure that they wouldn't mind.

Bill had answered Tori's question before he slammed the door in their faces. "1997" he had said. 1997. One prank-gone-wrong and the Clan had landed themselves right in the middle of a bloody war. No wonder the adults had looked ready for a fight when the door had opened.

Scorpius was vaguely aware of the people standing around him, discussing what it was they should do.

"Surely we can't tell them our actual names. Wouldn't that mess up some form of the space-time continuum or something, right?" Jamie Potter was talking. Nobody had forgotten that it was partially his fault, along with Frankie and Freddie, that they were here in the first place, but the matter at hand was far more important. What were they going to do?

"I'm with Jamie on this one. I don't know about you all, but I know as soon as the word 'Malfoy' escapes my lips, they'll kill me on the spot." Scorpius jumped into the conversation. He and Jamie did not agree on most things, for no reason other than they were just two completely different people, but he did not like the idea of an early death. Not at 17. He had just been accepted into St. Mungo's training program, after all.

"I don't know, Scor" This was Lily Potter. The youngest Potter differed from her two brothers in many ways. Sure, she was a girl, and that's a significant difference, but she was also the only one of the three to inherit the distinguished Weasley red hair. She was also far calmer than either of her brothers, especially Jamie, and had a way with words that would make anyone do just about anything for her. Scorpius thought of her as his own sister, even though the two were not related, and she shared the sentiment. "If we don't tell the truth, and they discover we've lied to them, I'd hate to see what happens. We need them to trust us, and the only way to gain a person's trust is to be truthful."

Lily Potter was right. She was almost always right, which was rather frustrating for the Clan, but their frustrations were quickly forgotten when her sage advice helped them out. It was no different in this case when the door to the Burrow was reopened, and Bill Weasley stepped out.

"Alright, you all. We've decided we can't trust you yet, but we've also decided that we can't leave you out here if someone were to come after you. So we've elected to use Veritaserum on you all to make sure that your facts check out. Afterwards, well, I'm not sure, but this is the only shot you all get, so don't screw it up."

With that, Bill allowed the Clan inside the Burrow, and the interrogation process began.

The interrogation went with few hiccups. Of course, when the idea that the time travelers were, in fact, Weasleys was revealed, it took Molly a while to calm down when she discovered just how many grandchildren she would receive. The Order decided not to ask who the parents of each child were, as they didn't want too much to be given away, but Ginny noticeably stiffened when the three Potter children were introduced, especially Lily, as the girl was a carbon copy of her mother.

The interrogation of Scorpius Malfoy was also quite eventful, as, of course, the Order only knew the Malfoys to be evil scumbags, which at the time was entirely true. However, when Scorpius answered that he was not, in fact, working with Voldemort and the Death Eaters, the Order could not throw him out, although they did warn that they would be watching him for any funny business.

After the interrogations were over, Molly, still enthralled by the idea that she would one day have twelve grandchildren, sent the teens to bed upstairs in the newly transfigured beds she had magic'd up, and the Order members settled down once again in the family room of the Burrow.

"I'm still not entirely sure I know what to do with this information." Bill Weasley began. He, too, was enticed by the idea that some of these children may in fact be the result of the love between he and his new wife, Fleur, who was certainly waiting up for him back at Shell Cottage.

The rest of the Order nodded their heads, but Charlie couldn't help but take the mickey out of his brother, "Surely you would know which ones are yours, eh, Billy? I mean, I suppose it would be the three with the French names. You know, Victoire, Dominique, and Louis? That would make sense, wouldn't it?"

Bill smiled. He had considered those three to look a lot like Fleur and himself. However, Dominique, or Nix, as she had called herself, had bright purple hair, and he couldn't imagine Fleur to allow that.

"As delightful as this is, what are we to do with them?" Kingsley spoke up. "After all, we can't just have nineteen children in the Burrow. It wouldn't be fair on you, Molly."

Although Molly said she would be delighted to get to know her future family, Arthur spoke against it. "Molly-Wobbles. As much as I, too, would love to be able to get to know these kids, we can't keep up with nineteen of them. It's just not safe enough here. There's too many."

The Order all agreed on this. "So what will we do with them, then?" Remus asked. He was slightly disappointed that none of the children had been named Lupin, as Nymphadora had recently been quite ill, and he was hoping that she may have a child on the way, although that thought scared him, too, as he feared that any child of his would be cursed by his ailment.

Tonks, seemingly hearing Remus's thoughts, reached up and grabbed his hand from where she was sitting on the couch. "I think I may have an idea, although it is a crazy one."

The Order looked at her expectantly. Any idea was a good one at this point.

"Well, there's a room Ginny told me about. It's called the Room of Requirement. At Hogwarts."

Ginny, who was still reeling about the fact that she and Harry may end up married after all of this is over, looked up from the chair she was lounged in when she heard her name. "Yes. The Room of Requirement. That's a great idea, Tonks!"

After discussing it, they decided that Ginny would need to go to the Room of Requirement and set up a Floo connection with the Burrow. The connection would be untraceable, and the teenagers could easily slip into Hogwarts unnoticed.

After nearly everyone had left or gone to bed, it was just Molly and Arthur sitting in the family room.

"You know, Arthur. These children showing up here, they've given us something I thought we'd never have again." Molly began, thinking about the nineteen children fast asleep upstairs.

Arthur looked over to his wife, wondering what exactly she was talking about. "What is it they've given us, darling?" He asked.

Molly looked up and smiled. "Hope."


	3. The Malfoys

**Chapter 3: The Malfoys**

 _2023: The Burrow_

After hearing the abrupt end to all arguing in the family room, the adults at the Burrow soon became nervous. Hermione Weasley, leaving her conversation with her sisters-in-law in the kitchen, entered the family room to investigate. What she saw was devastating.

There was no trace of the nineteen teenagers who had once occupied the room. The furniture was covered in a light gold dust, and, seeing this, Hermione feared that she knew exactly what had happened. Looking around the room for more clues, she found it. The device that had made her baby girl and baby boy disappear along with all of their cousins.

After several minutes of Hermione being in the family room and still no sign of arguing from the children, Ginny Potter became worried. "I'm going to go see what's happening," Ginny told the other women before following Hermione's path into the living room.

When she entered, she saw Hermione on the ground, turned away from the door into the kitchen. She appeared to be clutching something small in her hands.

"'Mione? What is it, dear? Where are the children?" Ginny asked as she approached her favorite sister-in-law. Ginny and Hermione had always been close, as Hermione often vented about Ginny's dork of an older brother to her. Even so, it had been years since Ginny had seen Hermione crying the way she was when the older woman turned to face her. "Hermione? What's the matter?"

Hermione, lost for words, held out her hands, so Ginny could see what it was she was clutching. When Ginny saw the small, broken device, she too began to cry.

"Oh, no."

When the two women were able to find the strength to stand again, they rushed into the dining room, where the men of the house had been drinking Firewhiskey and reminiscing about when their children were younger.

"Man, I remember when Rosie once found a toad outside of the house, and she thought it would be funny to put it in Hugo's-" It was at this point in Ron's story of his children that his wife and sister barreled into the room, both with tears still running down their faces. "'Mione? Gin'? What's wrong?" Ron stood up hastily from his chair to comfort his wife.

Harry did the same with Ginny, and the men ushered their wives to sit down and then urged them to talk.

Ginny, who was now holding the Time Turner in her hands, showed her brother and husband the device. "The children, Harry. They're gone."

While Ginny returned to crying as she reminded herself of the severity of the situation, Harry, Ron, and the rest of the Weasley men were shocked.

"Gone!? What do you mean they're gone? Where could they have gone?" Percy Weasley, who had stopped being quite as much the prat that he was twenty years before, demanded, having not seen the device in Ginny's hands.

George, however, who had been sitting next to Harry, hastily called the rest of the women into the dining room, although he felt like sitting and crying, too. He knew that this was somehow his son's fault, but he couldn't find it in him to be mad. All he wanted to know was that his son was safe and that he wouldn't be losing his other Fred.

After all of the women and men in the room were informed of what happened, Harry realized there was something he had to do. After all, it wasn't just his children that had gone to wherever… whenever… they had gone. And while Neville and Hannah Longbottom, Dean and Parvati Thomas, and Rolf and Luna Scamander were all at the Burrow, there was one family who most certainly needed to know that their child was missing. Harry needed to contact Draco and Astoria Malfoy.

 _2023: Malfoy Manor_

When Draco had woken up at 3:52 this morning, it had been due to a terrible nightmare. He'd been having nightmares since the Second Wizarding War, but since his son, Scorpius, had befriended the middle Potter boy, the nightmares had been different.

They all started the same. From the year 1997 to now, each and every nightmare began with him reliving it. Those horrid years. He would be watching someone as they screamed for help. Begged for their lives. It could be anyone. Really, it didn't matter. There were countless of them. Dozens of nameless people who he had sat and watched. Watched as his own father tortured them. Heard scream one final time before the words _Avada Kedavra_ fell from his father's lips and then watched as the life fell from the stranger's eyes. That was how they all started. Then they would change. They would change into something which, although it was not real, was far more terrifying.

When they changed, it would be the same scene as before. Except, this time, where Lucius Malfoy had stood, torturing and then murdering his victim, it was Draco. This time, it was Draco who was standing there with an evil glint in his eyes that the real man had never seen on his face. And the victim would no longer be a stranger. It would be one of the various members of the Weasley-Potter family. Sometimes it was Harry Potter, himself. Often, it was Scorpius's best friend Albus. However, the person it was more often than anything was Rose Weasley. Although Draco had never spoken to the girl, he knew the love that Scorpius had for her. Perhaps this was why this particular person would show up most often. Because just as Draco was now standing in Lucius's place, now Scorpius was standing in Draco's. But Scorpius did not act the same as Draco had. He, too, would plead. Beg. Cries and sobs escaped his lips as his father tortured his best friend or his family. He would ask to be put in the place of the woman he loved. And this image was what woke Draco from his sleep early in the morning on August 31, 2023.

Draco could not be said to be the most affectionate of fathers, but that did not mean he loved his son any less. Draco would, in fact, do anything for Scorpius, so when the owl came from Harry Potter in the evening of the same day, Draco was immediately put on edge.

Opening the letter which the snowy owl had clutched in her talons, Draco read with urgency.

 _Mr. and Mrs. Draco Malfoy,_

 _I am writing to request your presence at the Burrow immediately. Something has occurred which, unfortunately, concerns Scorpius. I will reveal more information when you arrive._

 _Best Regards,_

 _Mr. Harry Potter_

"Astoria, darling, we need to leave immediately!" Draco exclaimed across the sitting room, where he and his wife had been enjoying high tea in preparation for their son to come home any moment.

When one looks at Astoria Malfoy, it is not hard to see the resemblance between herself and her son. Perhaps not in looks, as Scorpius had inherited his father's everything, but in the way their faces were always resting in a slight smile. All of Scorpius's most affable traits could be attributed to Astoria. However, hearing her husband's tone of voice, the smile that so often rested on her pretty face was quickly replaced with a worried frown. "Draco, what is it?" She asked.

"I don't know, but this letter is from Harry Potter. And he's requesting our presence at the Burrow immediately." Draco said. This would be the first time he'd seen the entire Weasley family since the Battle of Hogwarts, and he obviously was not excited about the prospect. Knowing that his son could be in some sort of danger did not help his worry.

Both Draco and Astoria quickly received their shoes from the House Elf, Chippy, and hurriedly apparated off the grounds of Malfoy Manor.

When Draco and Astoria arrived at the Burrow, neither of them could help but think it was one of the oddest buildings they'd ever seen. Random additions stuck out everywhere, and Draco laughed. Clearly, the Weasley family was so large that it couldn't even fit inside of a single home without it being magically enlarged.

His laughing quickly stopped when he spotted Harry Potter in the front door, remembering why it was he and his wife were here. The two hastily made their way toward the odd house, worry growing when they couldn't find either Scorpius or Albus.

"Potter, would you mind telling me just what the bloody hell is going on? And where is my son?" Draco arrived at the doorway with a huff.

Ron Weasley, who was standing near the doorway pacing, turned on Draco. "Hey, you watch your bloody mouth! This isn't Harry's fault so you damn well shouldn't be blaming him that all of our children have suddenly decided to take up time traveling!"

Draco, hearing the words 'time travel', lost focus on what was sure to be a great argument between himself and the Weasley King, instead turning to Harry with a shocked look. "Time traveling? You mean to tell me that my son, along with his best friend, and your entire family have traveled in time right under your nose?"

Harry, hearing the worry clear in Draco's voice, sat down and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm so sorry, Draco. None of us have any idea what happened. All we know is that when Hermione went to check on the kids, they were all gone, and this was in their place." Harry held out the broken Time Turner for Draco to look at.

Draco had never been more confused in his entire life. But he had also not been more concerned. After all, there was nothing he wouldn't do for his son.

"Well. What are we going to do about it?" Draco asked, also taking a seat in the large family room of the Burrow.

"First, we'll have to find out when exactly it is they've gone back to. Based on my knowledge of time turners, I have a guess. I'm just praying that I'm wrong." Hermione spoke up from her seat on the couch. "I've gotten in touch with the Department of Mysteries to be sure, but…"

Draco had forgotten that the Minister for Magic could call on any department in the Ministry at any time for help. Normally the help wouldn't be personal, but this time, Draco wouldn't complain.

"Well, Granger. What is it, then? What's your guess?" Draco asked his former enemy.

Hermione, ignoring the misnomer in his question, replied with a fearful look in her eyes, "1997."

1997\. That was one of the worst years of Draco's life. He was working for Voldemort full-time by then, and he wasn't proud of the things he did. After Granger had revealed her guess, which was likely correct based off of her explanation that, since it had been broken, it would take the wearer, or in this case, wearers, back to the year in which it was created, Draco had been silent. He didn't know what to say.

When the Weasleys and Potters and the others decided that there was nothing they could do until they heard from the Department of Mysteries, everyone went to their respective homes.

After Draco and Astoria returned to the Manor, Astoria turned to him. "Draco, dear. Why have you been so quiet?" Astoria was worried about her husband, as normally when he's silent, he's reliving the past.

It took some moments for Draco to reply. He didn't want to seem weak in front of his wife, but he also recalled that she had married him in spite of his weaknesses, or at least that's what she'd said in her wedding vows. "I'm afraid. Bloody hell, I'm horrified." Draco's voice cracked at the end of his sentence, and he fell into his wife's open arms as he sobbed.

After he managed to calm down, he continued with his explanation. "Astoria. What if Scorpius runs into me? What if he sees me that way? What if he sees me that way and decides that he couldn't love me anymore? What if he's ashamed of me?"

Astoria, now understanding her husband's fears, tightened her grip around him. "Darlin, our son is the strongest young man I have ever met. If he does see you, then he will be proud of you. Not because of what you were, but because of what you've become in spite of that."


	4. Dumbledore's Army

A/N: Please Read and Review! It would make my day! Enjoy 3

Chapter 4: Dumbledore's Army

1997

September 1st. The Clan had been in the year 1997 for an entire day. While that may not seem that long, many things had happened in the matter of a day. The most astounding thing, however, was the headline on the Daily Prophet, which read, in bold letters, SEVERUS SNAPE NAMED AS NEW HEADMASTER FOR HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY.

For the Clan, this wasn't news. They had known that, in his keeping up his appearance as a Death Eater, Snape had become the Headmaster for Hogwarts. The Order, however, did not take it so well.

"I CAN'T BLOODY BELIEVE THEY'D ALLOW THAT TRAITOR TO BE IN CHARGE OF THOSE CHILDREN!" This had already been shouted by Tonks several times since she and Remus had Floo'd to the Burrow with a copy of the Prophet scrunched in her hands and hair as red as a cherry.

Molly, who'd quickly made up an extra two chairs at the table, along with the nineteen extra she'd made for the Clan, nodded and smiled at Tonks, "I know, dear. I know. You've said it near a thousand times. But we can't change the fact." With that, the Weasley matriarch poured another glass of pumpkin juice for her many grandchildren.

Ginny, hearing the news, had attempted to sweet-talk her way out of going back to school, but Molly would have none of it. After all, if the Clan were to be going to Hogwarts, they would need allies.

The Clan was quite excited to be going to Hogwarts, but they were also worried. They knew that there were many dangers which could come up by them being there, but they hoped they would find a way back to their own time before anything too disastrous happened.

As they sat around the magically enlarged breakfast table, several hushed conversations were being shared amongst the members of the Clan. Victoire, who had taken position as the leader of the Clan whilst in the past, was discussing the new dangers that would arise when the Clan arrived at Hogwarts with Rose, who had taken second-in-command, as she was the most intelligent of the Clan members.

"I wish we had more information. I mean, it's not like they ever really told us anything that happened during the War." Rose said in an exasperated manner. She had never been one to not know something, so the fact that she, and everyone else in the Clan for that matter, were almost completely in the dark was unsettling, to say the least.

"I know, Rosie. But it's not like they knew we would be going back in time to the year 1997. We can't blame our parents for wanting to protect us." Victoire responded. She, too, was uncomfortable with the lack of knowledge they had about the War, but, as the only member of the Clan who was also a mother, she understood the way their parents thought when it came to their children. She knew that, by not telling the Clan any details about the War, they were protecting the children's innocence and optimism about the world. "We do know one thing, though, Rose." Victoire began.

Rose looked at the older woman, with her silvery-blonde hair and deep blue eyes - the spitting image of her mother - and she realized what her cousin was thinking. "Yes, Tori. You're right. We do know one thing. We have to get out of here before the second of May. If we don't, well, I don't even want to think about what may happen."

The day had turned into night relatively quickly, and the Clan was being prepared to Floo into the Room of Requirement. They still had no idea how Ginny had figured it out, but, based on the owl they had received from the girl earlier that evening, it was going to need to be a quick process, as it took more magic than expected to keep the Floo connection hidden from Headmaster Snape.

"Well, you all. Are you ready, dears? Are you sure you have everything? I've packed you some snacks for the first few days, but you'll need to find another way to get food once all that is gone." Molly Weasley's concern for the Clan was the first familiar thing the children had experienced since being in the past, and it brought a smile to many of their faces.

"Nan, don't worry about us. We'll be fine, I promise." This reply came from James, who was still in serious trouble for sending the Clan back in the first place. He was hoping that his response would be heard not only by his grandmother but also by his cousins, siblings, and friends.

Molly looked at her future grandson with surprise, as the boy had just revealed this fact to her, having forgotten that they hadn't told the Order who their parents were when being interrogated. "Oh, deary me. You Potters are my grandchildren, too? Oh, Ginny will be ecstatic! I mean, surely it's her that marries Harry? Oh, how delightful! The Potters and Weasleys united as a family!"

James, realizing he divulged a piece of information, looked sheepishly at the faces of the Clan members, who were either glaring at him in anger or amusement.

"Yes, well, Mrs. Weasley. As exciting as it is, Mrs. Pott- Ginny- did say that this needed to be a quick trip, so we really must get going." Scorpius stepped in, not too concerned by the fact that James only confirmed the ideas that Mrs. Weasley and Ginny already had.

"Right. Right. Well, off you go, then. You know what to do, yes?" As the Clan nodded their heads toward the woman, they turned toward the fireplace and stepped in one by one, as each person traveled to Hogwarts again.

When Victoire, who had been the last to arrive, stepped out of the fireplace in the Room of Requirement, she looked around in awe, just as the other Clan members had. They'd all heard stories about this place, but, as it had burned up during the Battle of Hogwarts, none of them ever imagined they'd have the chance to see it in person. The Room was truly magnificent. It seemed as it had been transformed into a sort of makeshift hotel room, with the walls lined in cots. There were two bathrooms, one on each side, clearly labeled as "Witches" and "Wizards". In another corner of the room, a large mahogany dining table appeared, with nineteen chairs placed around it, one for each of the Clan members.

The most intriguing aspect of the Room, however, was the large area against the wall which the Clan had just arrived from. It was fitted with several couches, chairs, and even bean bags of various sizes, colors, and upholstery. And standing in the middle of all of that was a large fireplace with a mirror above it and a large oak mantle. The fireplace made the Room feel homey and cozy.

After the Clan was finished admiring the work which the Room had done, they all looked at Ginny expectantly. "Right, well…" she started. "I'll have to head back down to Gryffindor Tower, but Neville and I, and possibly Luna, will be back here tomorrow after classes in order to help you. Is that alright with everyone?" Glancing around the Room, Ginny saw the tired faces of the Clan as they agreed to her terms. "Good. Then I'll be off." Ginny turned her back on the Clan and exited the Room.

Once she left, Freddie Weasley flung himself onto one of the sofas in the middle of the room. "Well, this has been quite the day, hasn't it?" He smiled to his family members. In reply, most of them glared at him and rolled their eyes before heading back to claim a bed for themselves. The cots, while perhaps not the nicest of beds, suited each of their needs to get as much sleep as possible. Time traveling was exhausting. Freddie, however, just frowned as he realized that nobody in the Clan saw the opportunity they had. Of course, none of them lived with a father like Freddie's either.

George Weasley, of course, was an amazing father. He lived to tease his children and his wife and seeing their faces when he did truly made his world. Despite all of this, however, Freddie's father had never stopped grieving over the loss of Freddie's namesake. It was not uncommon in that particular Weasley household to hear strangled sobs at night, when George thought the children were sleeping, as he cried into his wife's arms, calling out to his brother. There was a portrait of Fred Weasley I in their house, and George would talk to it all of the time, but when Freddie or Roxanne asked why he was upset when he could still see and talk to his deceased twin everyday, George would always reply, "It's just not the same."

So clearly, as soon as Freddie knew that he was in the year 1997, just a few months prior to his late uncle's death, he knew exactly what had to be done. There was nothing in the world that would stop him from saving his uncle and making his father happy again.

"Freddie, mate, are you coming to bed? Everyone else is already asleep." Freddie looked up to see his best non-related mate, Frankie Longbottom, staring down at him in worry. Freddie had told both Jamie and Frankie about his plan to save Fred the First, but clearly the other two boys weren't so keen on the idea.

"Yeah, mate. I'll be right there." Fred replied. With one last look toward the blazing fire, Freddie got up and went to bed, his thoughts on Fred Weasley I.

True to her word, Ginny returned the next day after classes were over with Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood in tow. This was the first time either the Longbottoms and the Scamanders had seen their respective parents, and it was quite awkward. While the Scamanders were not in immediate trouble, as there was no reason for Luna to know that her future children were standing in front of her, seeing as she had yet to meet their father, Frankie and Alice Longbottom were clearly identifiable by their father.

"Longbottom? Did you say Longbottom?" Neville asked, opening and closing his mouth like a fish in shock after the introductions were finished. Frankie and Alice sort of smiled at their dad, not really knowing what else to do. "Merlin. That means I get married! Good for me! I wonder, what can you all tell us about the future? I mean, obviously we-"

He was cut off by a sharp elbow to the ribs by Ginny and Luna's exclamation of, "Neville, don't be silly! If they tell us about the future, then it might not turn out the same way!"

In response, Neville sheepishly looked down as Ginny spoke up, "Besides, we've come up here for more than introductions. We need a plan here, and I get the feeling you all might be able to hurry our plan along a bit."

Remembering what they were here to do, both Neville and Luna took a seat on one of the couches in the room, and the Clan followed. Even though there were various types of seating scattered across the floor of the living area of the Room, there were still not enough seats for the Clan, so many of them wound up on the floor. Patiently, they all looked at Ginny to start the conversation.

"Right, well…" She began, "After the Death Eater attacks on the Hogwarts Express yesterday-" She was interrupted by several of the Clan members gasping in shock. Rolling her eyes as clearly they wouldn't be of any sort of help like she had hoped, she continued, "Anyway. After the attacks yesterday, it's clear that we'll need to be prepared to fight here. We'll need to do something with any of the students who are willing so that, if the Death Eater attacks become frequent, which I'm sure they will with Snape as Headmaster, we are ready to protect ourselves. We need to be able to fight back." She said all of this with a suggestive tone. Clearly, she had an idea.

Neville, who had been thinking similar things, spoke up. "You're right, Gin. I've been thinking the same thing, and well, I think we both know what it is we need to do." He smiled, remembering fondly all of the fun he'd had during his fifth year, which now seemed so long ago.

Molly Weasley II, being the most rational yet most annoying Weasley in the Clan, spoke up from her spot on the floor, "What are you suggesting, exactly?"

Luna Lovegood, seeming to finally be paying attention to the conversation, met the Weasley girl's expression with a small smile. "Why silly, we're suggesting the only real option. We reinstate Dumbledore's Army, of course."


	5. We Have to Go Back

**Chapter 5: We Have to Go Back**

 _2023: The Burrow_

It had been a week since the children had gone missing, and still there was no response from the Department of Mysteries regarding exactly when the children had gone back to. Either way, the Potters and Weasleys needed to figure out how to get their children back to the present day, and they knew exactly whom to call in order to succeed.

Over two decades ago, the Order of the Phoenix had been fighting in a war against the Dark Lord, and now, they were planning a strategy to stop their own children from fighting that war. Standing in front of the Order, Harry Potter had never felt (or looked) so old. In the week that the children had been gone, he had earned more grey hairs, his eyes had turned from their previously bright green to a watery dull color, and his face appeared to be permanently set in a frown. The other Weasley-Potter adults looked equally as tired and distraught, but not one single person in the room looked as exhausted as Harry's godson, Teddy Lupin.

Teddy Lupin, who was born in the final month of the Second Wizarding War, had lived with his grandmother, Andromeda Tonks, for the first five years of his life. When Andromeda became too frail to look after a bubbly and energetic child, he had moved in with his godfather, Harry Potter, who had recently been married to Ginny Weasley, now Potter, meaning the boy began to spend an unwarranted amount of time with the Weasleys. Granted, he and his Gram had always been over to The Burrow during the holidays, as it was rather lonely at home with just the two of them, but once the young boy was living with Harry and Ginny Potter, it seemed that he never spent any time away from The Burrow, or another of the several Weasley homes across the United Kingdom. His favorite of these, of course, was Shell Cottage, the home of Bill and Fleur Weasley. When he was at Shell Cottage, he was able to spend time with other children, as many of the Clan had yet to be born. Bill and Fleur's eldest daughter, Victoire, however, was only two years younger than Teddy, so the two spent an abnormal amount of time together, laughing, playing in the sand on the beach, going for a swim in the ocean, and doing what every child does with his best friend. This trend continued even after Fred II, James II, Molly II, Frank II, (Merlin, there are a lot of IIs… can't these Weasleys come up with original names?), and Gwenog "Gwen" Jordan were born. While those five grew up, followed soon by the rest of the Clan members, Teddy and Victoire remained best friends, telling only each other their deepest secrets. Of course, as it was foreseen by the Weasley-Potter adults, this deep friendship quickly turned to romance as Teddy and Victoire transitioned from children to adults. They made quite the pair, Teddy with his turquoise hair and brown eyes (although those, too, changed colour from time to time), Victoire with her silvery-blonde locks and deep blue orbs. Teddy was rowdy, uncontrollable, and rebellious. Victoire was sweet, sensible, and well-mannered. They were complete opposites, yet they fit perfectly. So when they married two summers ago, it was of no shock to the Weasley-Potter family, nor was it shocking one year ago when Victoire announced she would be having the pair's first child. Unliked when Teddy's mother fell pregnant with him, the child between the two eldest of the Clan members would be born with no fear of losing his mother or father to a Dark Lord. Or, at least, that was the idea. Of course, Teddy's godbrother, as well as his best friend in the Clan, had to go and mess that one up. Which is why the metamorphogus looked so incredibly exhausted. His wife, the love of his life, had gone back to the past when an incorrigible dark wizard was rising, leaving him and their three-month-old son, Remus "Remy" Lupin, alone. Of course, Fleur and Ginny often came over to help with the baby, but they did not spend the nights, which was when Remy was the most uncomfortable. The child was used to his mother's calming abilities, which Teddy did not possess, so not only had Teddy lost sleep over his wife's disappearance, but his son had kept him from getting any sleep he may have had.

Harry smiled reassuringly at his godson, although Teddy could see the pity in his eyes. "How's it been, Ted? I know Remy probably hasn't been making this any easier for you, eh?"

Teddy looked at his godfather with resignation, "I just don't understand how such a tiny thing can be so loud. I can't get him to sleep, and when he is sleeping, I can't sleep because all I can think about is the fact that Tori might be in danger. I'm no good at this. It was Tori that always made him calm down when he was crying. I can't do this without her." His voice broke at the end, revealing just how troublesome this past week has been for him.

Harry was heartbroken that he couldn't help his godson any more than offering to care for Remy every once in a while. "Don't worry, bud. You won't have to do anything without her. We'll make sure of that."

After reassuring his godson, Harry stood up to begin the Order meeting.

Draco and Astoria Malfoy had never imagined that they'd visit The Burrow twice in the matter of a week. Although, surely they'd never imagined that their only child would be sent back in time to a war in which one of them had fought on the wrong side and the other had fled the country in cowardice. Nevertheless, the two Malfoys had arrived back at The Burrow for the Order meeting. Draco, having been a Death Eater during the Second Wizarding War, had never been a part of the famous Order of the Phoenix, but he had heard of the legendary group and its contributions to the downfall of the Dark Lord. As a child, he had listened to his father reminisce with his mother about killing or torturing an Order member, and he could remember his shock that his father had done any of those things to a person. Of course, he knew that his father was a supporter of Voldemort, but, being a Slytherin, he had assumed his father would place himself on the winning side of the war, no matter whether he believed in its ideals or not. As a teenager, he had considered, if only briefly, fleeing the Manor to join with the Order. This idea, of course, was never spoken aloud, and he hadn't gone through with it, obviously, mainly because he had known he would be laughed at and turned away. There was also the issue of not knowing where the Headquarters for the Order was located. As a young adult, fighting for his life in the Battle of Hogwarts, he had seen the companionship of the Order firsthand. Where the Dark Lord and his cronies did not care which out of their ranks died, some even falling to the hands of Voldemort himself when he was particularly angry, the Order members mourned each fallen warrior. Every single person who died before them was grieved immediately by his or her fellow Order members before being ruthlessly avenged as the grieving turned into flawless wand work against the Death Eater responsible. Perhaps this was why they had won. When the Death Eaters were fighting for the creation of a completely pure and powerful wizarding community, the Order was fighting for each other. The Order fought for every man and woman who had laid down his own life to the cause against the Dark Lord. Draco could only hope that, in his son's time in the past, Scorpius would not become one of the ones whom the Order fought for.

Entering the Burrow, Draco and Astoria stuck out almost immediately. While they were not the only ones to not be a part of the Weasley-Potter family, they were most certainly the only two who had fought for the wrong side in the War. Ronald Weasley stared glumly at the Malfoys, still not understanding why they had been invited to the Order meeting and voicing those concerns aloud. Hermione nudged him in the ribs to get him to stop whining, but that did not erase the glare on his face as Draco and Astoria made their way to the large table. They appeared to be the last ones here.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting." Draco said as politely as he could. Whether he enjoyed the company of the Weasley-Potters or not, his son was in danger, and he would not be arguing with the people who would help save him.

"There's no problem, we hadn't started yet, anyway." Harry rose jovially from his seat next to Teddy Lupin, and even though the weight of the world felt like it was on his shoulders, even though he felt as though the fates of the children were in his hands, he did not let that show. "Now, naturally, the reason I called this Order meeting was to discuss the plan, or lack thereof, to return our children to the present day. As you all know, we've contacted the Department of Mysteries, asking if they can pinpoint the year in which the children went back to. We, of course, have speculated it to be 1997, and we can assume that they went back to the exact date and time in which they left, just in that year instead of this one. This, naturally, is all speculation, but it was speculation by Hermione, so we're going to believe it's correct until the Department of Mysteries gets in touch. Hermione?" Harry turned to his childhood best friend and favorite sister-in-law.

"Yes. Well, if we are right in our speculation, which is highly likely, then we need to come up with a plan to get them back. Any ideas?"

The room was silent for a while as people mulled over any ideas they had in their heads. After about ten minutes of silence, Dean Thomas spoke up from his seat next to his wife, Parvati. Their daughter, Lavender, although she goes by Jo (as Joanna is her middle name), was another of the Clan members who had been sent back in time. "Well, there's no way for us to contact them, is there? Which means, and I'm afraid to say this, but I think the only way for us to get them back is to go back in time and get them ourselves."

Calamity arose when Dean finished his statement. Everyone was arguing that it was impossible, but in the back of their minds, they understood that this was the only feasible plan.

"If that's the case, which I presume we've all come to the conclusion that it is, where exactly are we going to get ourselves a Time Turner? They haven't been manufactured in years, and frankly, I'd be surprised if any exist at all any more." Draco spoke up from his seat for the first time since he and his wife arrived.

"Well, you're right, Malf- Draco. There haven't been any Time Turners created since the end of the War. But I can always ask the Ministry to search for one. That's all we need, isn't it. Just one. And surely there's at least one left in the world." Hermione was hopeful for the first time in weeks. They finally had some form of plan, even if it was seemingly impossible.

"If we're going back in time to get the children, there's no reason for every one of us to go. I say we select five people to go. That won't be too many to cause a riot, but it'll be enough if we need to fight." Harry said from his chair, as he had sat down again once Hermione began talking.

Almost immediately, the Order members elected that Harry, Ron, and Hermione go. "It makes the most sense. We send back the Golden Trio, and then we guarantee the children's safe return home!" Seamus yelled in his Irish accent as the trio blushed and refused, thinking that others would want to go.

With little more coaxing, the trio agreed. "Alright, alright. We'll go. But we still need two more people."

When Ron made the Order aware of this, two hands shot up immediately to volunteer. The first hand belonged to George Weasley, which was understandable as his daughter and son were in danger, and he'd already lost his twin to the war. The second hand, however, was almost shocking. As the pale, long fingers were raised in the air, the Order looked at Draco Malfoy in disbelief.

"Absolutely not." Ron said. Hermione glared at him for his lack of tact, but she, too, was apprehensive about why the former Death Eater would want to go back in time to the Second Wizarding War.

"I don't see why not. My son is there, in just as much danger as any of your children, and I refuse to sit idly by and let my childhood enemies go and rescue him without me." Draco's face turned a slight red in anger, but he seemed to be keeping his cool otherwise.

With a bit of discussion between the trio and George, who had stood up to talk with his future time traveling buddies, it was agreed. "Okay, Draco. We've agreed. You can come with us." Harry said. He was going to leave it at that, but Ron had other ideas.

"If there's any funny business, I swear I'll leave you back there to die this time." The anger was clear in Ron's voice.

"I promise, there'll be no funny business. I just want to get my son back home, Weasley."

And with that final statement, the first Order meeting in decades was adjourned.

* * *

 _2023: George and Angelina Weasley's Home_

Angelina Johnson Weasley had known her husband for a long time. They'd been friends at Hogwarts, and their romance began relatively quickly after the death of Fred Weasley I, as the two had found comfort in each other's arms. This being said, Angelina felt she knew her husband better than anyone else in the world, and during the Order meeting, she could tell that he had motivations to go back in time that went beyond returning their children.

As the tall dark woman made her way across to their bed in her deep purple nighty, she stood in front of her husband, who was sitting on the bed rubbing his tired brown eyes, perhaps attempting to persuade them to close and allow him to sleep. Grabbing his pale hands in her own chocolate ones, she forced the man to look at her. "George, darling. Tell me there's not another reason that you want to go back in time." She begged him with her own brown eyes, but the look he gave her in response was all she needed. "George Fabian Weasley. Listen to me. You can't bring him back. I know that's what you want to do, but you can't. When you go back, you have to put all of your focus on returning our Freddie and Roxie to us. Okay? Please, darling. Promise me that you'll focus on the children."

George looked up at his beautiful wife, and she could see the tears that were freely flowing from his chocolate orbs. "Angie. You know that I can't promise you that I won't try to save Fred. He's my brother, my best friend. I just can't go back without knowing that I did everything I could to save him. I'm sorry. Please. I'm so sorry." With that, George buried his face into his wife's stomach, firm from constant quidditch practice. The woman looked down at her broken husband as tears began to coast down her face, as well.

"I know, darling. I know."

* * *

 _2023: Malfoy Manor_

When Draco and Astoria returned home, it was dark outside. As they had since finding out about Scorpius's disappearance, the two made their way to their unnecessarily large and ornate bedroom and began to change into their nightclothes in silence. Astoria had been mulling over the reason why her husband would so willingly volunteer to go back in time since the Order meeting, but she still could not understand.

As the two Malfoys climbed into their silk-sheeted bed, Draco picked up a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ , which he had read through this morning, Astoria recalled, and she laid on her side with a Slytherin green sleep mask on her face. She did not sleep, but instead continued to wonder about the man sitting next to her and his motives for going back in time. When Draco turned to extinguish the light, the two laid in bed in complete silence until Astoria finally spoke up from her place on the left side of the bed.

"Why did you volunteer?" She asked in a way similar to how she would ask about the weather.

Draco, taken back by her questioning, replied, "I don't know. At first, I thought it was because I didn't trust Potter, Weasley, and Granger to look after Scorpius the way that they would the others. But now, I know that's not the case. As weird as it is, I would trust them, all of them, even Weasley King, with Scorpius's life. So I don't really know why I volunteered."

After hearing this answer, Astoria considered it in her mind. Recalling the conversation they'd had just a week before, she understood. "Draco, dear." She could faintly hear her husband's hushed groan in response, as he'd clearly almost been asleep. "Draco, I think I know why you volunteered so quickly."

Looking over to the woman beside him, he raised an eyebrow. "What is that, Astoria?"

"You want to prove to him. No… you want to prove to yourself that you can be different. You want to show Scorpius that you're a better man now." Astoria smiled at her husband, her sleep mask on her forehead now. "Draco, darling. Haven't I already told you that there's no need to prove yourself to him. He already knows what an amazing father, an amazing man, you are. You just need to believe that now, too." With that, the Malfoy woman replaced her sleep mask and quickly faded into a deep sleep, not knowing that her husband would now be awake throughout the entire night to think about how he would do just that… to think about how he could prove to not only Scorpius but to himself that, despite everything he's ever done, he's a good man now.


End file.
